Survival of the Fittest
by Digikitty
Summary: Netto, Enzan and other net battlers are invited to a 'suvival contest' where the prize is a rare battlechip. But what happens when there is more involved than just a simple game? Finished!
1. Kichi's surprise

Disclaimer: I don't own Rockman.exe, duh! I also apologize for any OOCness, I have only seen parts of the series, and this is my first fic. This used to follow the english version, but now that I saw the japanese (thank you Jim!) I have changed the names to fit.   
  
A/N: There will be some Yaoi in this. I blame two other fanfic authors for this. I blame Mik-chan for getting me to read the stuff (she writes some pretty good GW Yaoi) and I blame Regulus because from his fic I saw just how cute Netto and Enzan look together. Mind you though, this won't show up till later in the fic. Arigato!  
  
The wind blew gently through the mountain valleys, playing with the leaves and flowers and grasses that grew there. Birds twittered from the tree branches and squirrels chittered noisily at each other. On the ground a pair of young fox cubs played in the rushes, while their mother watched on for any signs of danger. All over the mountain was coming alive as spring pushed winter back into its den for another year. Everything was peaceful in the spring-swept valleys of the Aspen River Mountains. There was nothing seen that would indicate to the outside world that the mountains held a powerful secret beyond any measure...  
  
*****  
  
Kichi pulled into the driveway of the Hikari household and climbed out of her truck without making a sound. The door was open for her, as she had called her aunt to tell her that she was coming to visit. Her cousin, Netto, however, had no idea she was coming. She loved to surprise him, even if some of those surprises weren't pleasent at times. Of course, considering the pranks she had pulled on her cousin in the past, she could see why he didn't like what she called suprises. That never stopped her, though.   
  
Quiet as a mouse Kichi walked into the house, taking off her shoes before sneaking up the stairs into Netto's room. It was a Saturday, so he was still asleep. Not for long, though. A quick look at his desk revealed Netto's PET, where his Net Navi was watching Kichi. She hadn't met Netto's navi before, but she signaled for him to be quiet as she snuck up on Netto. The navi listened, though he looked a little uncertain. Netto shifted in his sleep, causing Kichi to freeze for a moment, but he didn't wake up. Kichi sighed softly, then moved over to Netto's side, and leaned down near his ear. Then, in as loud a voice as possible, Kichic screamed, "WAKE UP!"  
  
Netto shot out of bed like a startled bird escaping from a cat, and promptly landed on the floor next to Kichi's feet. The look he gave her when he sat up was cold enough to freeze a lake. Kichi, who was giggling at her cousin, politely stopped before he got even madder at her. Without a word Netto picked himself up off the floor and glared at Kichi. He had to look up to do so, since Kichi was a full two feet taller than he was, and Netto wasn't short.  
  
"I see Mama forgot to tell me you were coming," Netto said in way of a greeting. He was still glaring at Kichi angrily.  
  
"I asked her not to tell you," Kichi replied with a grin. "Otherwise you would have hid from me."  
  
"No doubt about that. Did you have to wake me up so early?"  
  
"Early? Its 10:00 am Netto!"  
  
"On a Saturday that is early for Netto," Rockman replied. Now Netto turned his glare on the net navi.  
  
"I noticed you didn't try to stop her," Netto growled.  
  
Rockman shrugged. "She didn't do any damage, Netto. Besides, she is you cousin. What was I supposed to do, chase her out of the house?"  
  
The thought of the small navi chasing anyone out of any place was enough to make Kichi laugh. She couldn't help it, he didn't look all that strong, even though she had heard otherwise from her friends in Densan City. Kichi herself didn't have a net navi, or even a PET for that matter. Where she lived, out in the Aspen River Mountains, no one had such things. Some people didn't even own a tv set. Most of the people were hillfolk, living as their people had for centuries. Granted, there weren't a lot of people who lived in the Aspen River Mountains, but those who did didn't make much of a fuss over technology. And there was the little problem that anything more advanced than a radio usually broke down apon entering the mountains, though no one knew why.  
  
"So, why are you here?" Netto asked suddenly. "Its not like you to leave Nana alone for very long, and its a long trip here. Or did Nana come too?"  
  
"Nana" was Netto and Kichi's great-grandmother, Mycah Hikari. She had lived in the Aspen River Mountains all her 100 years of life, and rarely left the house that her own grandfather had built. Netto loved seeing her. Kichi shook her head.  
  
"Nana stayed home. Kerr is with her. As for why I came, its because Nana asked me to, and it has something to do with a rare battle chip."  
  
Kichi gave Netto a sideways glance to see if she had caught his interest. Not surprisingly, she had. She'd gotten Rockman's interest, too. Smiling, she continued. "A friend of Nana's came across this battle chip, and gave it to her, since no one in our area owns a PET or such, and she had no use for it. And knowing that you are such an avid Net Battler, Nana thought about giving you the chip, then got a better idea. Seeing as how now a day people are so...involved I guess is a good word, in technology, Nana thought it would be fun to make a contest for NetBattlers to earn the battle chip."  
  
"Now I know I got to hear this," Netto said suddenly, interrupting Kichi. "When Nana plans a 'contest' you know something very interesting is gonna happen."  
  
Kichi smiled even more. "Damn right. Anyways, as I was saying, Nana is throwing a contest to see who wins the battle chip, and some of the best netbattlers have been invited. The catch is, its a survival contest. The contestants have to survive one week in the Aspen River Mountains, and they can only use what they bring with them. And they can only bring what they can carry. Nothing more. I'll be delivering the full set of rules later on, when all invited gather in the school courtyard. But I just wanted to check to see if you were interested."  
  
Now it was Netto who was grinning. How many summer weeks had he spent in those mountains, under the guiding care of his cousins, just about all of which lived in those same mountains. There was no way he was going to pass something like this up.  
  
"You bet I'm interested. I wouldn't miss this for the world!"  
  
"I thought you'd say that. The meeting in the schoolyard starts in two hours. I have a few other things to attend to, but I shall see you there, okay?"  
  
"Right," Netto said. "See ya there, Kichi." 


	2. The Contest Begins

The school yard wasn't very crowded when Netto and Rockman arrived. Then again, Kichi wouldn't have invited just anyone, and she hadn't told him just how many people Nana had invited to this competition. He was slightly surprised to see both Miyuki and Saloma in the crowd, though. Then again, something like this wasn't going to stay a secret for long, and no doubt World 3 would try something, so seeing the net agents there did make sense. Netto also saw a few other people he knew, who were friends of Kichi's that lived in Densan City.  
  
"Don't tell me you were actually invited to this competition," said a cool voice behind Netto.  
  
Netto spun around and found himself face-to-face with his biggest rival, Enzan Ijuin. Enzan looked as cool and professional as always, and gave off an aura of superiority. His very presense irritated Netto to no end.  
  
"Yes, I was invited," Netto snapped back. "Though why Kichi is letting you tag along is something I can't figure out."  
  
"Becuase he's a great Net Battler, dear cousin," Kichi said, appearing at Netto and Enzan's side. Enzan smirked at Netto.  
  
"Well, at least now I know how _you_ got into this." That said, Enzan walked away.  
  
Kichi placed a restraining hand on Netto's shoulder before he could even take a step forward with the intent of beating Enzan to a pulp. "Easy, Netto. In truth, I invited him for the sole purpose of some entertainment. I don't think he could last three days out in the mountains, let alone one week. You on the other hand, you were trained for this by myself and everyone else in those very mountains. Be calm, let things go the way they will go. As for me, I had best announce the rules. Be back in a minute."  
  
"Okay," Netto replied, though he was still very mad. Still, Kichi had made some good points. Netto had the advantage of actually knowing the area in which he was going to be forced to survive in.  
  
Kichi took a moment to walk up onto a small dais that had been placed there for that purpose and gave a piercing whistle to get everyone's attention. At once everyone fell silent. All were watching Kichi eagerly, wanting to get the competition started.  
  
"Welcome, all who have gathered. If you are here, it is because you have recieved an invitation for a very unique competition, where the prize shall be a rare battle chip. As was stated in your invitations, this is to be a survival contest, one week in the Aspen River Mountains. You were also told that you could only bring what you can carry. You are also allowed to bring your PETs, though there are no computers to jack-in with, and I can't guarantee that they will always work. The mountains sometimes have a strange effect on electronical devices.   
  
Now, since this is to see how well you all can adapt to various situations in the wilderness, let me tell you now that there will be a few...challenges during this competition. What those challenges are, I won't say, but I promise things will be interesting. And as to how we will be monitering you, all I will say is that we have eyes all over the moutains, so we know what's going on. Anyone caught trying to sabatoge another contestant will be immediately removed from the contest. Those are the rules. Anyone who wishes to back out now may do so."  
  
No one moved after Kichi said this. She smiled and bowed her head to the group. All together there were about 20 people in this competition. At that point a bus pulled into the school yard. Even from where he was standing, Netto recognized the driver as another one of his cousins, Darius. Kichi led the way onto the bus, and very soon it was driving down the road, out of the city and up to the Aspen River Mountains. 


	3. Day One

A/N: Yes, this chapter underwent a rewrite because my plans for the story changed. I thank those from the Rockman.exe Online Forum for their nice suggestions, and I also would like to thank them for keeping on my butt for updates... so without further ado, here is chapter three.  
  
It was late in the afternoon by the time the bus came to a stop in front of what looked like a large farmhouse. There was a large field off to the side, and a barn stood on the far edge of it. The rest of the view was taken up by the forest and mountains. On the far side, where the trees began a stip of blue that was the Aspen River could be seen. Darius opened the bus to the doors, and everyone got out in an orderly fashion.  
  
"Alright, if everyone will please follow me," Kichi said in a loud voice to get everyone's attention. "I'll take you to the house so that you may sign in and so that Mrs. Hikari can give you a few more notes, and we can get this thing started."  
  
The small group of net battlers followed Kichi to the wide porch, where an tiny, thin woman with snow white hair and bright brown eyes sat in a cushioned rocking chair. Next to her was a table with a book on it, and next to that was a case with the battle chip inside. The glass was tinted so that they couldn't see just what kind of chip it was. Mycah Hikari said nothing to the net battlers as they signed their names in the book, she simply smiled at them. Finally, when the last name had been signed, Mycah stood up.  
  
"First I would like to welcome all of you to this place. I thank you for choosing to participate in this challenge. I am certain that my great granddaughter has already warned those of you who brought you PETs that they may not work here. That in mind, I shall tell you about the last twist in this contest.   
  
As you have been told, this is a survival contest, to see who can last the longest. However, that is not the only thing. As Kichi was also supposed to tell you, she and her siblings shall be causing you to face situations as the contest progresses. That is their contribution to the contest. Here is mine. What you see in this glass container is the battle chip you are competing for. It shall be hidden somewhere on the mountain, and you must find it. Clues will be given to you, don't worry about how, though. Just know that they will be given. After that, its up to you. I'll warn you all once again about cheating: I won't stand for it. Any one who tries to cheat will be disqualified. Well, then, that is it, I believe. I suggest you all start off now, if you want to find a place to set up camp before dark."  
  
Finished with her speach, Mycah took both the book and glass case and went into the house. Darius and Kichi followed her. With nothing else to hold the contestants to the house, they took off into the woods, each going there own ways.  
  
*****  
  
Netto took a deep breath of the warm mountain air, feeling happy to be beneath the giant trees that made up the forest. He had broken away from the main group as soon as possible, already having a place in mind for his first campsite. Since he had a fair idea that his cousins were going to be up to something, as Kichi had mentioned some 'challenges' Netto wanted to be ready for them. He had a feeling that the first challege would be something along the lines of taking their supplies, not that Netto had brought much to take. All he had was some spare changes of clothing, a blanket, some food and his pocket knife. Kichi and the others had long since taught him to survive on such, even less, that what he carried with him now. Even if the did manage to take his stuff it wouldn't kill him.   
  
"Netto-kun, where are we going?" Rockman asked. So far the PET hadn't suffered any strange effects from the mountains...yet.   
  
"There's a grove of willow trees near a small river not to far away from here," Netto replied. "I've used it as a campsite before, and I'll be able to hear anyone if they try to sneak up on me."   
  
"Why would someone sneak up on us?"   
  
"Because my cousins like to make things difficult. Besides, its a good way to eliminate a lot of people right at once. If they can't survive without the supplies they brought, they won't be able to last a week, period."   
  
"And you think you can?" Rockman asked with a smile.   
  
Netto grinned back. "Yes. I've done it before, after all."   
  
"If you say so."   
  
It was getting dark by the time Netto reached the grove he'd told Rockman about. It was a group of about six to seven willows, their branches hanging low to the ground. Some of the branches rested against the slow moving waters of the river. The branches were thick, and screened the rest of the forest from view. Netto set up his camp underneath one of the larger trees, camp consisting of laying his blanket out on the ground and hiding his backpack in a hollow in the tree. It was warm enough that he didn't need a fire, and without the light to betrey where he was, he might not be noticed. The cousins would know where he was, he knew someone was probably watching him right now. But the other net battlers would have no clue where he was. Depsite the rules Kichi had laid out, Netto was willing to bet a few of them would try to get rid of their competition.   
  
"Netto-kun, why did Kichi say that electronic items don't work here? The PET seems to be working just fine," Rockman asked.   
  
Netto, who was laying down, sat up and looked at his navi. "Sometimes certain things work, while others don't. No one really knows why. Its just always been like that. Nana thinks it has something to do with the kind of rock the core of the mountains are made out of. Something that interferes with electromagnetic fields or something like that. Personally I haven't the slightest idea. If something does happen, the worse possibility is that I'll loose contact with you for awhile. Its nothing serious."   
  
"That's good to hear," Rockman replied.   
  
Netto was quiet for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the crickets, which were quite loud up in the mountains. There were a few night birds singing, and somewhere nearby he heard an owl hooting. The air was a bit humid, and Netto was a little worried that it might rain. If that happened though, he had a back-up plan. That had been one of the first things Kichi had drilled into him as a young child. Always have a back-up plan in case the first one failed. There were a set of caves not to far from the willow grove that would be a good shelter to wait out the storm. The only reason Netto hadn't gone there first was because the willow grove was closer and because he would be able to hear anyone trying to sneak up on him.   
  
After awhile Netto began to feel drowsy. Looking at his PET he saw that Rockman had already chosen to go to sleep. With a sigh Netto stretched out on his blanket and closed his eyes. Just as he was beginning to doze Netto heard a twig snap. With a grin Netto forced himself to lie still, keeping his eyes half-shut so as to see who was coming. It was a tall figure who entered the grove, one of Netto's cousins, of course. Which one it was Netto wasn't sure, since the person was completely dressed in black. Netto waited for the person to come within reach, then reached out and grabbed his/her ankle. The cousin gave a startled cry, then began to laugh. A hood was removed, and Kerr's cheerful face appeared from the darkness.   
  
"I should have known better," Kerr said, shaking his head.   
  
"I heard you coming," was all Netto said in reply.   
  
Kerr shook his head ruefully. "Well, that was a failed challenge on my part. Looks like you pass this test."   
  
"I figured you guys would try something," Netto replied with a grin. "Better luck next time."   
  
"I hope so, kid. I'm just looking for a chance to beat you!"   
  
"In your dreams."   
  
Kerr shook his head one more time and left the grove. Netto lied back down, now much more relaxed. He knew perfectly well that his cousins would only try something once each day, since they had _some_ sense of fair play. Maybe tomorrow he would find out exactly who had lost their supplies and who hadn't. It would be great if Enzan had failed, but somehow Netto figured he hadn't. And even if he had, Enzan wouldn't be the kind of person to give up right away. On that thought, Netto fell asleep.   
  
*****  
  
Like Netto, Enzan had sensed that something was going to happen that first night, and had taken measures against any kind of tricks. In other words, he had set up a small camp, and was now keeping an eye out for anyone trying to sneak up on him. Twice he had thought he'd heard footsteps, and another time he'd been certain he'd heard whispers, but he'd not seen anyone in the darkness.  
  
Very briefly Enzan wondered how Netto was fairing, and smirked at the thought. That kid didn't have a clue about anything. If he thought he could be Enzan then he was in for a rude awakening. The only reason Netto was in this contest was because the lady holding it was his great-grandmother. The second-rate net battler didn't stand a chance against Enzan.   
  
"Enzan-sama, shouldn't you be resting?" Blues asked softly.  
  
"I'll be fine, Blues. This isn't the first time I've done something like this," Enzan replied.  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
Blues fell silent, and Enzan went back to watching the forest. He'd thought about leaving his PET at home, but had eventually decided against it. Even if it didn't work at times, there would undoubtably be times when it would come in handy. One never knew about such things.  
  
*****  
  
Kichi stood on the branch of a large tree, watching Enzan. She'd tried to sneak up on him a couple of times, but had had to stop each time because he'd heard her. It irked her, but she had to admit that he was good. She would just have to catch him at some other point. One way or another she was going to have some fun with him.  
  
"No luck with him?" Darius asked, appearing next to Kichi. Like her and Kerr, Darius was also dressed all in black.  
  
"Nope. He's been watching for me since he set up camp. How did your targets fair?"  
  
Darius smiled. "Lets just say that some of them are going to wake up to a nasty surprise when they see all their supplies are gone."  
  
Kichi smiled. "Then we should leave and prepare for the next challenges. Come on."  
  
Both Kichi and Darius took off through the trees, disappearing into the darkness of the forest, laughing softly for the games that were soon to come. 


	4. Distress Call?

Netto had woken up as soon as the rain began to fall. It had come suddenly, without warning. That was the way it usually was with weather in the Aspen Mountains. Rain and snow came without a single sign to warn people who were camping or working there. Well, at least he had a back up plan in mind, and quickly gathered his supplies together and headed for the caves. They were about a mile away, and after a few minutes of walking Netto was completely soaked.  
  
"Netto-kun, something's wrong," Rockman said suddenly. Netto stopped and looked at the PET.  
  
"What is it?" Netto asked.  
  
"Its a distress signal, coming from further up in the mountains! Could it be one of your cousins?"  
  
Netto shook his head. "Can't be. None of them have PETs. One of the contestants, maybe?"  
  
"Aside from you, Enzan, Miyuki and Saloma, no one else had a PET with them," Rockman said. "Should we check it out?"  
  
"Definitely," Netto said. "Can you tell me which direction I should be heading though?"  
  
Rockman fell silent for a moment, apparently trying to contact the other Navi that had given him the distress call. "Netto-kun, its no good. I can't reach the other PET."  
  
A concerned look crossed over Netto's face. There were people who did live in the mountains, but none of them owned a PET that he knew of. Likewise, none of his cousins did either. Besides that, if it had been one of his cousins they would have sent up a flare. If someone was hurt they would need help. He had one of the flares that were used in emergencies, Kerr had left it behind last night. Netto had no idea where his cousins were at the moment, so the best thing to do would be to find the person and send the flare up. Netto knew enough first aid to hopefully help the person until a rescue party came.  
  
"Okay, change of plans. Can you give me a general idea of where you think the distress call came from?"  
  
"One moment, Netto-kun," Rockman replied. A minute later a map appeared on the screen. A large area north of where they currently were was circled. "Gomen, Netto-kun, but that is the best I can do."  
  
"Good enough. Lets go."  
  
Without pause Netto turned around and headed back up the path, intent on finding the person who had sent the distress call. The contest would just have to wait, and if he lost, well, no person's life was worth a battle chip, and there was no way of knowing if Enzan, Miyuki or Saloma had gotten the distress call and had gone to answer it themselves. If they had then Netto would eventually meet up with them. If not, then he was on his own until he found the person and sent up the flare.   
  
*****  
  
"I can't believe he fell for it," Darius said, shaking his head in disbelief as he watched Netto run off.  
  
"Of course he did," Mycah replied, looking up at her great-grandson. "Haven't we drilled this into his head? Had it been a real call you would be doing the same thing."  
  
Darius looked down at his great-grandmother and smiled. She looked like a bundled up rug in the coat and hat she was wearing. Both were waterproof, and protected her against the chill wind that was beginning to pick up. From the way her eyes were crinkled he could tell she was smiling.  
  
"Do you think the other one will fall for the bait as well?"  
  
"If he's the person I think he is, and if my visions are correct, then yes, he will."  
  
"Clever of you to host a contest to get them into this place," Kichi said, appearing out of nowhere, as was her habit. "But I still don't think those two will cooperate. From what I could see earlier, they don't like each other much."  
  
Mycah chuckled softly. "You only see what is on the Surface, child. What I See is what is inside of them. Come, we must make sure things continue to run smoothly. Keep an eye on them, you two. There is much at stake here."  
  
"Will do," Both Kichi and Darius said. Then the two of them disappeared into the forest once again. Mycah stared at the place they had been standing, a contemplative look on her face.  
  
"Yes," She sighed to herself. "There is indeed much at stake here." 


	5. If There's A Chance Something Can Get Wo...

If There's A Chance Something Can Get Worse...It Will!  
  
A/N: Sorry if Enzan is ooc, I don't know to much about his character  
  
Despite trying to stay awake during the night, Enzan had fallen asleep. He woke up soaking wet from the sudden downpour that had come from nowhere. Annoyed the boy got up. His supplies were still with him, meaning that Netto's cousins hadn't come, or had given up on him. He very much doubted that it was the latter of the two.   
  
"Blues?" Enzan said loudly to see if his navi was awake yet. All he got was silence. Enzan looked at the screen, which was completely blank. He shook his head. Apparently sometime last night his PET had decided to stop working. "Of all the times," Enzan growled, placing the PET in his backpack. Enzan had no idea where he was going, but he was determined to get out of the rain and dry off a bit, though he doubted there was anywhere he could do such a thing.  
  
The rain was cold, surprising for the middle of summer, and the wind made it worse. The trees, which should have blocked most of the wind, didn't. It didn't take long for Enzan to begin shivering, and soon after that his arms and legs began to feel a bit numb. Growling loudly, Enzan pulled out his coat and put it on, but it didn't do much to warm him up. He growled again, feeling quite angry with this turn of events, but he was surprised when he heard something growl back. Or perhaps startled was a better word. Either way, Enzan froze when he heard the noise.   
  
The growl had come from behind him, and Enzan turned slowly to see what it was. In the darkness of the forest, compounded by the rain, this wasn't as easy as it sounded. He could see outlines of things at best, and nothing but rain at worst. As it was, there was nothing he could see that would be the source of the growling. Was it a trick of the wind? It was possible, Enzan told himself. Shrugging, he turned and continued up the path he had been following. Everything was fine for a few minutes, until he heard the growling again, only this time it was much louder.  
  
Feeling every muscle in his body tense up as he froze, Enzan peered out into the darkness, trying to make out the source of the sound. A flash of lightening helped him out, and he wasn't happy with what he saw. Illuminated for a single second was a large cat, a mountain lion, standing on a rock no more than five feet from Enzan! It was looking the other way when the lightning had lit everything up, and Enzan took that opportunity to run off in another direction. He heard something crashing along behind him, but couldn't tell whether it was the wind, which had picked up, or if it was actually the giant cat. Regardless of which, Enzan didn't stop to look and find out.  
  
'What the hell! Why didn't they tell us there were large predators here?' Enzan thought as he ran. 'Someone could get killed by something like that!'  
  
It was awhile before Enzan had to stop and catch his breath, and by that time the rain had cleared up somewhat, though it was still very dark. There was no sign of the mountain lion behind him, and it was hard for Enzan to say whether or not he had actually seen it, or if he had imagined the entire thing. He didn't really believe the second option, but it was the one he hoped was true. Not that he'd ever tell anyone he had been frightened by an imaginary cat. He wouldn't tell anyone about it, period.  
  
Having caught his breath, Enzan tried to get his bearings. He checked to see if his PET was working yet, but it wasn't, unfortunately. And he was even more lost than before. Enzan didn't think things could get any worse, but just as he thought that, it did. There was no warning this time, the threat just appeared in the form of about five wolves. They were close to five meters away, and there was no doubt that they had seen him from the way they were forming a circle around him.  
  
"Just great," Enzan growled. "I escape from a mountain lion only to be eaten by a pack of wolves."  
  
Very slowly, so as not to alarm them (yeah, right,) Enzan reached down and grabbed the first good sized stick his fingers could reach. He wasn't about to give up, and if there was a chance he could get away from these beasts he was going to take it. The wolves had formed a semi circle around him now, coming around behind him and off to his sides. Though they growled and snapped at him, they didn't move any closer...odd behavior from animals who looked ready to tear him apart. Enzan wasn't sure what they were afraid off, but he was going to take the chance to run. He threw the stick at the wolves, then ran.   
  
Enzan could hear the wolves racing after him. He could hear their growling and howling, and the plants snap beneath their paws. They could have easily outran him, but oddly enough, they didn't. In fact, they didn't even come near him, except to snap at him if he tried to change directions. Could it be that...they were possibly herding him the way a sheep dog herded cattle? As impossible as that thought seemed, he had a feeling that it was something Kichi could pull off, if she wanted to. That realization made him stop in his tracks. The wolves reappeared from the forest, forming another circle of sorts, so that he couldn't get away from them. That was fine, Enzan wasn't going to try to run. In fact, he ignored the wolves (not an easy thing to do) and instead peered into the forest.  
  
"I know you have something to do with this, Kichi Hikari!" Enzan shouted to no one in particular. He didn't even know if the woman was anywhere near here. "I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not going to play any games with you!"  
  
"Oh darn, and I was having such fun," came a sudden reply. Kichi appeared from the shadows just as the wolves vanished into them. That sight was a bit unnerving. She had acted as if the wolved hadn't even been there.  
  
"Just what are you up to?" Enzan demanded. "I don't find this funny. Those wolves could have killed me."  
  
"What wolves? I didn't see anything. And I find this to be very funny. Unfortunately, I don't have any more time to play at the moment. So why don't you be a good little boy and just keep running in the direction you were going?"  
  
Enzan crossed his arms and fixed Kichi with his coldest glare. If looks could kill Kichi would have died several times over. "What if I don't want to?"  
  
Kichi raised an eyebrow at this reply. "Pity for you, since you have no choice. Either you go willingly, or..."  
  
"Or what?"  
  
Kichi sighed. "So much for the easy way. Have a nice nap, Enzan-sama."  
  
Before Enzan could reply or react in any way, Kichi had thrown some sort of powder in his face! He sneezed and coughed for a moment, trying to brush the stuff away. He lunged at Kichi with the intention of punching her, but instead ended up falling into her arms! Everything around him was beginning to spin and blur into one big mess of colors.  
  
"Sorry..." he heard Kichi say softly, before he was swallowed up into darkness. 


	6. The Plot Thickens

Netto had been walking around for what felt like several hours now, and still he had yet to find signs of anyone that far into the forest save for himself. The rain had stopped some time ago, but Netto was still soaked, and he doubted if he was going to get dry any time soon. And while the sky had gotten somewhat lighter, it was still overcast, promising more rain to come. He was getting tired of finding nothing. Maybe someone had already found the lost person, or perhaps the signal had been a fluke completely. It wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened.   
  
"Rockman, are you sure you picked up a signal coming from this area?" Netto asked with a sigh.   
  
"I'm positive, Netto," the navi replied. "I- Netto! Its the signal! Its back!"   
  
"Try to pinpoint it!" Netto exclaimed.   
  
Rockman was quiet for a moment. Then, "Netto, I have the exact loca-"   
  
The sceen to the PET went completely blank. Netto stared at the machine in disbelief. Of all the times for the mountain to interfere with the PET! He needed to know where that signal was coming from! Yelling loudly, Netto kicked a rock into the trunk of a nearby tree. Now he would just have to keep looking on his own. Netto wasn't very happy about that, but he knew he should have expected it. Heck, he knew that it was going to happen sooner or later, but he had hoped that the PET would have lasted a bit longer, just long enough for Rockman to tell him where the signal was coming from. Sighing, Netto continued walking up the path that continued to grow narrower and less easy to see as he went on.   
  
Very soon the trail disappeared entirely, like most of the trails in the forest tended to do. He had come to a small creek by then, the banks swollen from the recent downpour. While the current was swift the water was shallow enough that Netto was willing to risk a crossing. The water was cold, even though it was summer. Most of the mountain streams and creeks tended to stay cold all year around, and this one was no exception. He shivered as the cold waters soaked his socks and filled up his shoes.   
  
A long, low howl alerted him, and though Netto tensed, it wasn't from fear. He recognized that howl as being that of Kichi's mutt, Anuzu. Sure enough, the large dog appeared through the trees several feet in front of Netto. Had Netto not grown up with Anuzu he would have thought her to be a wolf. Certainly the mutt could pass as one. Anuzu didn't wear a collar, instead she wore a set of gold bangles around her left forepaw. The jingled when she walked, something that had also helped Netto to identify her.   
  
"What do you want?" Netto asked the dog, smiling as he did so. Some people might say otherwise, but he was dead certain Anuzu could understand him.   
  
Anuzu walked up to him and jumped up to lick his face to greet him. Laughing, Netto pushed her back down. She was easily as big as he was when she stood on her hind legs, and she weighed about half as much again what he weighed. Her greeting done with, Anuzu took a corner of Netto's shirt in her teeth and began tugging him in a different direction to what he had been going. Since Anuzu was stronger than him, and since he had asked her what she had wanted, Netto went along with her.   
  
The trail Anuzu had chosen was not the easiest one in the world. Having figured Netto was going to follow her she had let go of his shirt to run ahead through the trees and rocks, reappearing only to keep Netto going the right way. The rain had started up again, this time in a steady drizzle instead of the downpour it had been earlier. It made travelling more difficult, as the rocks he had to climb over became slippery in the rain. Somehow he managed to keep up though, and after some time came to the entrance of a valley. The entrance was formed by two cliffs that probably had been, at some point in time, a single rockface. Anuzu darted through like an arrow, and Netto was quick to follow.   
  
The valley behind the cliffs was small, and most of the plant life was formed of hardy shrubbs, grasses and mosses. Anuzu disappeared into the thick shrubbery, barking loudly so that Netto could find her. When he finally did reach the mutt, she wasn't alone. Lying unconscious on the ground was the disheveled form of Enzan! Anuzu whined and came over to Netto's side, pushing him foreward. Netto kneeled down besides the sleeping boy to make sure he was alright. Enzan was still breathing, and looked fine to Netto. He could find no injuries whatsoever, nor could he figure out how the boy had gotten into the valley to begin with. Why would Enzan have come here at all? There was obviously nothing here except for some shrubs and grass.   
  
"Well, I suppose we should wake him up, huh?" Netto said to Anuzu. "Care to do the honors?"   
  
Anuzu barked and began licking Enzan's face. It took a few minutes, but Enzan did wake up, and he was in a very bad mood.   
  
"Get off of me!" Enzan shrieked, pushing Anuzu away from him, which was no easy task.   
  
Netto laughed. "Now now, is that any way to greet a friend?"   
  
"Hikari? What are you doing here?" Enzan demanded, sitting up.   
  
"I was going to ask you the same thing. Rockman picked up a distress signal before my PET went completely blank. I was looking for the source of the signal when Anuzu here appeared and led me to you," Netto explained.   
  
Enzan pushed Netto aside as he rose to his feet. "I'm going to kill your cousin, Hikari. She knocked me out with some sort of powder, and she was most likely the one that brought me here.   
  
Netto shook his head. "Man, I should have known Kichi was behind this. Its just like her to pull a trick like this on someone. Its her idea of a practical joke."   
  
"Well I'm not laughing."   
  
"Neither am I. She's done the same thing to me before, too. I wouldn't mind getting back at her either."   
  
Enzan ignored Netto's comment and stalked off towards the opening in the cliff. Netto began to run after him when Anuzu darted ahead of them both and stuck herself between them and the opening, blocking their only route out of the valley. This irritated Enzan even more.   
  
"Hikari, tell your dog to move out of the way."   
  
"I'd love to, but she's not mine, and the chances of her listening to me are slim to none."   
  
Sure enough, as Netto moved foreward to try and coax Anuzu aside, she snapped and his hand and growled at both boys. Netto backed up a few feet, and even Enzan took a step back. He was reminded of the wolves he'd seen (or thought he'd seen) last night, and didn't want to become the dinner of this beast who was easily as big, and probably just as dangerous. The way she was acting right now was just like a wolf.   
  
"Easy Anuzu," Netto said softly. "What's gotten into you?"   
  
Again he tried to move foreward, but again Anuzu snapped at him, and this time she pushed Netto backwards into Enzan. Both of them fell backwards onto the ground, which suddenly gave way beneath them! Both boys were fallings into darkness, and when either one had hit the ground, neither could say, because the impact had knocked both of them unconscious. 


	7. Close Encounters of the Smelly Kind

Enzan woke up sore and cold. There was something under him, and that something was the still-unconscious body of Netto Hikari. Groaning loudly Enzan rolled off of Netto and sat up. His head spun for a moment, but that quickly stopped. Once he was able to see clearly he was able to get a good look at his surroundings. Enzan wasn't to thrilled with what he saw.   
  
They were in a cavern of sorts, and had fallen through a hole in the roof. He could see the hole, it wasn't too far up, they would have to climb to get out. The only problem was that the walls of the cavern were curved, and there was no way they could reach the hole from the wall. Which meant they would have to wait for someone to notice they were missing and for them to come find them. Needless to say, Enzan was not happy.   
  
A soft groan from Netto brought Enzan's attention back to the younger boy. Already he could see a large bruise forming under Netto's eye, and there was a pretty nasty-looking cut on his forehead. Apparently Netto had taken the worst of the fall through the ground. The concern Enzan suddenly felt surprised him, as was the anger. Concern because Netto had been hurt and angry because it appeared as if Netto's own cousins had planned this. Why would they intentionally hurt their own flesh and blood? It didn't seem right.   
  
"Enzan?" Netto asked weakly, his eyes fluttering open. "Where are we?"   
  
"In a cave, apparently. We seemed to have fallen through the roof."   
  
"Joy," Netto said sarcastically, sitting up. Almost instantly he regretted the sudden movement. "Ow! My head feels like a truck hit it."   
  
Enzan smiled, ever so slightly. "Thanks for breaking my fall."   
  
"So that's what knocked me out."   
  
Enzan snorted. "Not likely. You were probably unconsious before you hit the ground."   
  
Netto was to sore to make any comment.   
  
"Netto, you know these mountains pretty well, right?"   
  
"Yeah, why?"   
  
"So we can get out of here, stupid," Enzan growled. It amazed him that Netto could be so seemingly smart at some times, and so incredably dense at others.   
  
"Hey, give me a break!" Netto snapped. "I can't think to well at the moment!"   
  
"That's obvious."   
  
Enzan regretted that comment the moment it was out of his mouth. The look Netto gave him was colder than anything he had ever given. Enzan knew he couldn't get out of this situation, and he knew that Netto knew it as well. But it went against his nature to apologize to someone like Netto, so instead he looked away.   
  
"You want to find a way out, find it on your own," Netto snapped. "I don't need someone like you talking me down. My head hurts enough already without your snide comments."   
  
"Fine! See if I care!" Enzan snapped back. Without a second thought he angrily stalked off into the cave. Netto simply laid back down and waited for his headache to subside.   
  
--------   
  
Enzan was furious. Both with Netto and with himself. Why couldn't Netto be more serious about their current situation. They were stuck under ground for crying out loud! And no one but that mutt knew about it. But Enzan knew that was a pointless thought. Netto was the way he was, and nothing Enzan could do would change that. He didn't want to change that.   
  
"Why the hell am I even thinking about him?" Enzan asked himself. "I should be trying to get out of this place."   
  
A sound somewhere ahead of him caught Enzan's attention. He couldn't see to far ahead, though there was light filtering down through random holes in the ground above him. The sound wasn't too loud, and he couldn't tell if it was coming from a mouse, rat or bat. Either one wouldn't be bad, and anything would be an improvement over the wolves he'd seen the other night.   
  
It seemed Enzan was going to be regretting several thoughts this day. His luck just kept getting worse and worse as this competition wore on. It was no rat, mouse or bat that was in the tunnel ahead of him. It was a skunk. A skunk that was none to pleased with the intruder in front of it....   
  
-------   
  
Netto's headache had begun to lessen a bit when Enzan's shouts forced him into a sitting postition. He looked around for the other boy, and spotted him running back into the cavern. From what he could see Enzan wasn't hurt, but from the smell, Netto could easily tell he'd had a rather unfortunate encounter with one of the mountain's natives. It was several minutes before Netto could stop laughing.   
  
"Shut up, Hikari," Enzan growled after a few moments. "Its not funny."   
  
"To you, maybe. God you smell horrible! The poor skunk must have seen your hair and thought you were trying to invade its territory!"   
  
That sent Netto into another fit of laughter.   
  
"Unless you want an even bigger headache you had better stop laughing, Netto."   
  
"Fine..." Netto had a hard time stopping though, and it was awhile before he could even look at Enzan.   
  
"Well," Netto said, finally somewhat calmer, "that skunk was actually a good sign. Since we know it didn't come through the hole we came through, it means there's a way out of this place. We'll just have to follow its trail."   
  
"Just great. If I never see that beast again it will be too soon."   
  
"Yeah? Just walk behind me. The smell is starting to get to me."   
  
"Shut-up, Hikari..." 


	8. A Friend in Need

A/N: Once again I wish to thank Neko for saving my butt from the evil grip of Writer's Block. Thanks, Neko.  
  
Chapter Eight: A Friend In Need  
  
Netto and Enzan walked through the cave/tunnel in silence. Enzan was still furious about being attacked by the skunk, and Netto was concentrating on following its trail to find an exit. It was never fully dark in the tunnel, since there were holes in the top where tree roots had poked through, allowing for a bit of the sunlight, such as it was because of the storm, to filter through. None of the holes were big enough for the boys to squeeze through, even if they could reach them.   
  
"Netto, are you sure this place has an exit?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. That skunk couldn't have gotten through any of those holes in the roof either."  
  
Enzan was a bit surprised. How had Netto known that was what he'd been thinking. Netto turned around and grinned at Enzan.  
  
"Remember, my cousins taught me a lot of things about these mountains. Even if they didn't tell me anything about caves being in this area."  
  
Silence took reign once more. For how long they walked it was hard to say. The PETs still weren't working, not surprising considering how deep into the mountains they were. They'd be lucky if they could get an old fashioned watch to work out here. All of a sudden, though, they light in the tunnel grew steadily brighter, and the roof began to close in. There was an opening ahead, and Netto could smell fresh air. Eager to be free of the cave, Netto began to run, and Enzan was quick to follow. The opening was off the ground, but there were pleanty of hand and footholds the two boys could use to reach it.   
  
Through the opening Netto could see that the storm was beginning to pick up again. There was no point going out into the rain when they were nice and dry, well, drier, in the cave. Netto settled himself down for a nap, but Enzan didn't seem to share that point of view. His PET had flashed on for a moment, and while there was no sign of Blues, the device was still picking up that strange signal. It only lasted for a moment, but Enzan was determined to follow it. Chances were it led to Kichi, and he had a score to settle with her.  
  
"Enzan, what are you doing?" Netto asked as Enzan began to climb up to the exit. "The storm's picking up again."  
  
"I don't care. I'm going to find out where that signal is coming from. Hopefully it will lead to your cousin, since I have a score to settle with her," Enzan growled.  
  
"Wait until the storm ends," Netto argued, climbing after Enzan. "You'll never be able to find Kichi in such bad weather."  
  
But Enzan wasn't listening. He had climbed through the hole and was making his way down the rocky slope that it had come out in, back down to the trees. Once he reached more stable ground he went off at a run. Netto climbed onto the slope just as Enzan disappeared into the trees. Shaking his head, Netto decided to follow him. He trotted down the slope, which wasn't the best of ideas in the world, not when it was raining. He ended up slipping and rolling the rest of the way. When Netto hit the bottem it took a moment for everything around him to stop spinning. Sitting up, Netto brushed the mud from his face before standing up, or trying to anyway. The second he put his left foot down pain shot through his body! 'What a bad time for a twisted ankle!' Netto thought, cursing silently. No matter, he still had to find Enzan.  
  
Netto moved as quickly as his ankle would allow, but he couldn't catch up with Enzan, nor could he find the other boy. It was entirely possible that he had missed Enzan entirely and was going in the wrong direction entirely. At that moment Netto desperately wished that the PETs were working. He could certainly use Rockman's help right then.  
  
As if summoned by the thought, the PET began to flicker. "N-Netto, can you hear me?"  
  
"Rockman?" Netto asked, grabbing the PET. Rockman's image flickered onto the screen. "Rockman! Its great to see you!"  
  
"Likewise. Why are you out in this storm?"  
  
"I'm looking for Enzan. Idiot ran off into woods."  
  
While Netto spoke he continued to walk. As with the slope, he should have known better than to loose track of his surrounding. But with the rain and wind being as loud as they were, Netto didn't see the banks of the river until it was too late. A startled shout escaped his lips as he fell into the water, the PET dropping on the edge of the bank!  
  
"Netto!" Rockman shouted, but it did no good. Netto was already being swept away by the churning waters. Managing to think clearly despite that, Rockman began trying to reach Blues. He had to get to Enzan!  
  
Enzan had come to the churning river, and had found a safer crossing a bit further upstream. His PET had finally begun working again, and Blues was back. He hadn't sustained any damage from any of the recent events, for which Enzan was grateful. He was still tracking the signal, which was leading him along the bank of the river. Careful to stay away from the edge so he wouldn't fall in, Enzan filled Blues in with everything that had currently happened. He didn't laugh at the incident with the skunk, but Enzan could tell that he wanted to. If Netto ever told anyone about that....  
  
"BLUES! ENZAN!"   
  
The sound of Rockman's voice filled Enzan's PET.  
  
"Rockman?" Both Blues and Enzan said at the same time.   
  
"Netto fell into the river!" Rockman shouted. "You have to help him!"  
  
Before Enzan could ask for anything more specific the PETs went out yet again. There was no time to curse at the bad timing as Enzan suddenly spotted Netto being swept past him. Leaving his PET on the bank, Enzan dove in after the boy. The water was freezing and the current was strong, but so was Enzan. He reached Netto, though with some difficulty. The moment Enzan got his arm around Netto's waist the other boy's body went limp. Reaching the bank was another challenge, now that he had to pull Netto along as well. But he did reach it, and he did manage to pull Netto out.  
  
"Netto? Netto, wake up!"  
  
Netto's eyes remained shut, however. His skin was very pale, and his lips were tinged with blue. "Damn!" Enzan shouted. How long had Netto been in the water before Rockman had managed to call them? Though it was soaked as well, Enzan took off his coat and wrapped it around Netto before lifting the boy onto his back.  
  
He had to get Netto out of the rain and warm him up. He would have to come back for the PETs later. A tinge of guilt hit him as he walked. If he had stayed back in the cave like Netto had wanted Netto wouldn't have fallen into the river.  
  
"Stop it, Enzan. Its not like you could have known he would fall into the river," Enzan told himself, trying to shove the guilt away. Unfortunately it didn't work. If anything, it made the feeling of guilt worse.  
  
As suddenly as the first time the wolf-dog - Anuzu, Netto had called it - appeared in front of Enzan. Hanging from her mouth were the two PETs. She looked at Enzan with piercing eyes for a moment, then turned and walked into the trees. The message was clear: follow. Enzan was still wary of that beast, but he needed to help Netto, so he followed.   
  
Anuzu led him, not to a cave, but to an actual cabin! It was small, and the windowns were streaked with mud and debris from the storm, but it would still be dry inside! Enzan moved quickly to get Netto inside. He still hadn't woken up, and he had stopped shivering. Neither was a good sign. Anuzu followed them into the cabin, set the PETs down, then ran back outside. Enzan closed the door as soon as she was gone. Setting Netto down on the bed, he peeled off the soaked coat and shirt before pulling the blanket that had been folded up at the bed's foot over Netto. There was little to no dust in the place, and it seemed to be well stocked, hinting that people seemed to use it quite often. Most likely it was a shelter for these very types of situations.  
  
"Come on, Netto, open your eyes," Enzan pleaded. "Please wake up?"  
  
It seemed to work, Netto's eyes opened slightly. They were clouded and unfocused. "E-Enzan?" Netto asked in a very weak voice. "Its c-cold..."  
  
Netto's eyes fell shut as Enzan felt a shudder run through his body. It was cold, though it was warmer than inside than outside. Enzan spotted the fireplace and both wood and a firestarter right next to it. Moving away from Netto Enzan piled some of the kindling into the fireplace and struck the firestarter over the dry wood. It took a few tried, but finally on of the sparks caught and grew into a flame. Enzan placed some larger pieces of wood onto the flame, feeding it until it was a decent size. Then he looked around for more blankets to pile onto Netto.  
  
Small as the cabin was it didn't take long for the place to warm up. The heat began to reach Netto, but slowly. Enzan would place his hand against Netto's face every so often, and sure enough it was getting warmer. But instead of getting better, things got worse. Netto began to cough, and just hearing it made Enzan wince with pain. On top of that Netto's temperature went from cold to hot, fast. He had a fever. Now Enzan was having a hard time cooling Netto down! Netto, for the most part, hadn't moved since he'd been set down, and continued to simply lay there.  
  
"I'm sorry, Netto," Enzan said softly. "Its my fault you're in this mess."  
  
Even though he'd admitted it, the guilt didn't leave. He could only hope that the fever and cough would leave and that Netto would be fine. He didn't know what he would do if he wasn't. Something cold touched his hand, making Enzan jump. It was Anuzu, though how she'd gotten back in he had know idea. She was staring at him again with a pair of eyes that seemed to go right through him.  
  
((Sleep, Brother.)) A powerful voice commanded. Before Enzan could even ask where the voice had come from, the room around him began to sway, and he had to grab onto the bed to keep himself from falling onto the floor. A sudden need for sleep overwhelmed him, and much as he tried to fight it, Enzan felt himself drifting into sleep... 


	9. Enzan's Feelings

((He hasn't woken up yet?)) the deep voice asked.  
  
((Not yet. I think you pushed him to hard.)) a softer, more feminine voice replied.  
  
((Nonsense!)) the first one snorted. ((See! He moves!))  
  
Enzan groaned and slowly opened his eyes. The last thing he could remember was getting Netto to the cabin and...Netto! Enzan sat up suddenly, ignoring the dizziness the sudden movement had caused. Netto was lying next to him, still asleep, his hair soaked with sweat. His breathing was rapid and he coughed quite a bit. He turned his head towards Enzan slightly and mumbled, "W-water... please..."  
  
"Okay, hold on," Enzan said, getting up. He remembered seeing a barrel filled with water and some cups in a corner of the cabin. He filled one of the cups and brought it back to Netto, holding it to his lips so he could drink. Netto drank about half of the water before turning his head away. Enzan carefully laid Netto's head back against the pillow and turned his own gaze to the window. Outside it was still raining, but not as badly as before. He knew that could easily change, though.  
  
"Its a wonder no one has come looking for us," Enzan said to himself, more to break the silence than anything else. He hadn't expected an answer, but was surprised when he got one anyway.  
  
((They would try, but the rain keeps them inside.)) a gentle voice said, startling Enzan. Who had said that? He and Netto were the only ones in the cabin.  
  
((I beg your pardon? If it weren't for me you'd still be stumbling around in the rain and Netto would be dead.))  
  
Enzan's eyes were drawn down to the grey-brown mass of fur that was Anuzu, who was currently spawled out in front of the fireplace. She looked up at him and bared her teeth...in a smile? That couldn't be right!  
  
((Hello, Handsome.))  
  
'I'm going crazy!' Enzan thought. 'Or else I'm getting sick and hallucinating.'  
  
((Or you're doing neither.)) Anuzu said, rising to her feet. ((If Netto wasn't coughing so much I'd have him explain things to you, but it seems that is not possible.))  
  
A wave of guilt hit Enzan again. He was the reason Netto was sick. If he hadn't have been so stupid Netto wouldn't have had to come after him and wouldn't have fallen into the river, and...  
  
((And you wouldn't have realized how much you cared about him.)) Anuzu finished. Enzan glared at her.  
  
"What would you know? I'm just sorry that he got hurt because of something I did."  
  
Enzan wasn't sure how, but he had the feeling that Anuzu was laughing at him. He didn't appreciate it, so he turned away and ignored her. Anuzu was silent then, and remained so for some time afterwards. Enzan went back to watching Netto, doing what he could to make the other boy comfortable. The PETs were still blank, which meant there was no way for him to call for help. Anuzu certainly didn't look like she would be willing to go back out into the rain.  
  
((You're damned right I'm not. But the rain will end soon. For awhile, anyway. Then perhaps Tainn will be able to come and help heal Netto. But that will depend on you.))  
  
"Depend on me? What is that supposed to mean?" Enzan demanded.  
  
((Be patient. The Pack will explain when they arrive.))  
  
"If that's supposed to be reassuring, its not."  
  
But Anuzu wouldn't explain any further. She simply turned her head away and closed her eyes. After that Enzan found it difficult to sit still. He didn't like being so helpless, and yet there was nothing he could do! He wasn't to thrilled with the situation. He went back and forth from pacing around the cabin to placing a damp cloth against Netto's forehead in an attempt to bring the fever down, though with little success. And all the while the sound of the rain grew fainter and fainter, as did the wind, until it stopped all together. Though the windows were covered for the most part with mud, Enzan could see the sunlight trying to break through.  
  
((I told you the storm was ending. Its not uncommon for at least one of these kinds of storms to hit during the summer. It helps to break the heatwaves that linger over us for weeks on end.))  
  
"I'd rather have had the heatwave. At least then Netto wouldn't have gotten sick."  
  
((Perhaps. But perhaps not. It is impossible to tell what will happen in the next minute so its better not to try and predict it. Life is lived in the moment, without worrying what will happen five minutes from now, or five days, or five years.))  
  
"You might live that way, but I prefer to be in control of my life."  
  
((Typical human thought. Even Netto would disagree with you, you know. And its pointless to argue with a wolf. You'll never win. Netto will tell you that as well.))  
  
"Netto can't tell me anything, you stupid beast!" Enzan shouted, balling his hands into fists. It took all of his self control not to hit Anuzu. Not that it would have done any good but to make her angry. Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. "He has pneumonia! Can't you see that? He'll die if he doesn't get to a hospital!"  
  
((Is this guilt that is speaking, or is it love?)) Anuzu asked, her voice taunting.  
  
"What does it matter?" Enzan growled.  
  
((To us it matters. Which is it, Enzan?))  
  
Without even thinking Enzan answered, "Love." He didn't know why he had said it, but even as he did so he knew it was the right answer. He loved Netto Hikari. He didn't know when it had started, but it had nevertheless, and he realized that now. And he didn't want to loose Netto now that he finally knew how he felt.  
  
((Then you shall not loose him.))  
  
Anuzu left her spot by the fireplace, pushed the door open and walked out onto the porch. The area had warmed up again, so Enzan left the door open. Maybe the fresh air would help Netto a bit. Anuzu stood in the light for a moment, letting the sun soak into her body. Then, without warning, threw her head back and released a low, mournful sounding howl. She repeated this three times, then fell silent. Enzan stood in the doorway, not sure what to expect. A moment later there was another howl, this one deeper than Anuzu's.   
  
Suddenly, through the trees, Enzan spotted something moving towards them. In the mist that had followed the storm the thing looked almost like a ghost. Enzan shivered at the thought. With everything else that was going on the last thing he needed to find out was that the mountain was haunted. Anuzu looked up at him as he thought that, but she didn't say anything.  
  
When the craeture came closer to the cabin Enzan could see that it was another wolf. One that was completely white with striking blue eyes that were brighter than Enzan's. Like Anuzu's, those eyes all but glowed with intelligence. Anuzu bowed her head to this wolf, and even Enzan could tell that this was someone to be respected.  
  
((You have called for me.)) It wasn't a question. Enzan realized this was the same voice that had ordered him to sleep the other night. Only now it was much more powerful, probably because he was so close. ((Your thoughts are correct.))  
  
((Tainn, I request for you to heal the Human-cub, Netto. He is well known to The Pack.))  
  
((That will depend. What reason is there for me to interfere with a Human life?))  
  
"Because I love him, and I couldn't stand loosing him," Enzan said before Anuzu could answer. Tainn turned and focused his gaze on Enzan. Enzan felt as if those eyes were looking right through his body and into his soul, like Tainn was measuring him somehow. It was uncomfortable, but Enzan didn't turn away. Finally it was Tainn who turned his head, looking back at Anuzu.  
  
((Lead me to the Human-cub.))  
  
Enzan didn't know if he could sigh with relief or not. After all, how could a wolf, even one that could talk, help Netto? Tainn didn't answer that question, and neither did Anuzu. Instead Anuzu led Tainn into the cabin and over to the bed where Netto was lying, his body limp from exhuastion. He had stopped coughing, more because he was to tired to continue. Enzan stood off in a corner to keep out of the way, though he was ready to push both wolves away if they showed any signs of hurting Netto.   
  
Tainn paced from one end of the bed to the other, keeping his eyes on Netto every single step. ((This will be difficult, but not impossible. You, Enzan, come here.))  
  
Enzan walked over to join the wolves. "Yes?"  
  
((Place your hand over Netto's heart.))  
  
Enzan did as he was told. He could feel Netto's heart beating rapidly from the fever. He felt Tainn push himself against his body, placing his face between Enzan's arm and Netto's chest. His breathing was slow and steady, and surprisingly it was comforting to have the wolf so close to him! Tainn focused his eyes on Netto, watching every move he made, which, considering that he was sick, wasn't much. All of a sudden Enzan felt like the world was falling around him. He felt both hot and cold at once, and everything was spinning! Then, just as suddenly as it had begun it stopped, only instead of standing next to Netto he was lying across him. It seemed that he had fallen over, or that someone had pushed him.  
  
((You fell.)) Anuzu said rather quickly. Enzan didn't believe her at all. Tainn didn't say anything, but Enzan heard him chuckle. ((Netto will be fine now. The fever and cough are gone. He just needs to rest a bit more, and he will be fine.))  
  
Sure enough, when Enzan looked at Netto his face was no longer flushed, nor did he feel any trace of a fever when he placed his hand against Netto's forehead. His breathing was back to normal as well. Enzan sighed with relief.  
  
"Thank you, Tainn."  
  
((You did as much of the healing as I did. Which is why you feel so tired right now.  
  
"I wondered about that," Enzan said, pushing himself up off of the bed and Netto.  
  
((You may as well lie back down. Neither of you is ready to leave yet, and there is still much for you to do before you leave this mountains.))  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
((Do you wish for me to put you to sleep like I did last night?))  
  
Though he was never one to be meek, Enzan was not about to push the matter. Like Anuzu had said earlier, you couldn't win an argument with a wolf. Besides, at the moment, lying down didn't seem like such a bad idea. Smiling slightly he laid down on top of the blankets next to Netto, who was still oblivious to the world. After that point Enzan was asleep as well. 


	10. Stories of the Past

"...Because I love him." Those words seemed to echo in Netto's mind for what felt like and eternity. Not much had reached through his fever-ridden brain, but those words, and the feelings that had come with them, were clear as crystal. Enzan loved him! If only he wasn't so weak right now he could tell Enzan that the feeling was mutual...  
  
((He knows, Little Brother.)) said a deep, soothing voice that Netto immediately recognized as Tainn's. ((Through us he knows. Now be still so that we may heal you.))  
  
After that Netto didn't remember anything except waking up and finding Enzan next to him, still asleep. His breathing was calm and steady, and his expression was peaceful. Looking over Enzan Netto spotted lying on the floor in a sphinx-like position, watching them both. She nodded to him in greeting, but kept silent. That in itself was unusual, for like Kichi, Anuzu couldn't keep her mouth shut.  
  
((Very funny. I was trying to be polite and let you both rest.))  
  
(Sure you were.) Netto replied.  
  
Anuzu gave Netto an indignant glare. Netto just smiled and stuck his tongue out at the wolf.   
  
"Netto?"  
  
Enzan's voice brought Netto's attention back to the other boy. He smiled at Enzan and gave him a hug as soon as he sat up, which greatly surprised the older boy. When Netto let him go both of them were blushing.  
  
"I see you're feeling better. That's good."  
  
Netto caught the tone of guilt in Enzan's voice and frowned. Was he blaming himself for what had happened? Granted, the only reason Netto had gone back out into the storm was to find Enzan, but it wasn't Enzan's fault that he'd fallen into the river. It had been pure bad luck that Netto hadn't been watching where he was going and fell into the water.   
  
"It wasn't your fault, Enzan. I wasn't watching where I was going, and I should have known better. But everything turned out fine, so it doesn't matter."  
  
Enzan nodded. Netto smiled and leaned against him. Things had turned out quite fine indeed.  
  
((Yes, yes. You're fine, he's fine, everybody's fine!)) Anuzu snorted.   
  
"You're just jealous because we're not paying any attention to you," Netto replied with a grin. Enzan was visibly startled. Netto guessed that he couldn't hear Anuzu all the time, the way he did.  
  
((Shut-up, Hikari, or I'll send you for another swim.))  
  
((Hush, Anuzu. That is no way to treat such honored guests.)) Tainn scolded walking back into the cabin through the open doorway. Behind him, lingering outside, Netto and Enzan could see a few more wolves, all of which were silent. ((And if our guests are finished resting, I would ask that they please follow us. There is much we have to discuss, once we are in a safer place.))  
  
"Safer place?" Netto asked, confused. "Why wouldn't this place be safe?"  
  
((I will explain when we have reached our destination. Please, movve quickly.))  
  
Netto shrugged. He wasn't going to argue with Tainn. The wolves knew the mountain better than even he did, and if they said something dangerous was coming, then he was going to trust them. Apparently so was Enzan. That or he simply didn't feel like arguing with a creature that could easily tear his arms off, and Netto was willing to bet on the second choice. Pulling his shirt back on Netto got up, waiting a moment for the room to stop spinning before he followed Tainn out of the cabin. Enzan kept his arm around Netto's waist, saying that he was making sure Netto didn't fall. A lame excuse, but Netto didn't mind.   
  
((You're going to make me gag!)) Anuzu protested.  
  
(Shut-up.) Netto replied. (You're just jealous.)  
  
((Am not.))  
  
(Are too.)  
  
((Both of you stop. We have much walking to do. Anuzu, go with Centan and scout the forest ahead of us. We do not need to be ambushed.))  
  
Anuzu trotted off into the woods with one of the other grey wolves, disappearing into the mist that had begun to form. Around them the forest was quiet, he couldn't even heard a bird singing. The silence made Netto a little edgy. Enzan picked up on that and walked a little closer to him for comfort.   
  
Tainn was right about them having a lot of walking to do. He took them on a winding trail into the mountains, and after awhile not even Netto could recognise where they were. Nothing looked familiar to him. The trees here were much older, and the creeks and streams, when they came across some, were much wider and shallower than the ones he knew. Here it wasn't silent at all, there were pleanty of birds calling to one another, and they could hear insects buzzing around. The place [i]felt[/i] ancient and untouched, and Netto had a feeling that him and Enzan were the first humans to come to this place in centuries.  
  
((That would be correct, Little Brother. We have almost reached our destination. You will be able to rest there, and then we shall explain a few things to you.))  
  
That was a good thing. Netto was beginning to feel tired, and he didn't know how much longer he could walk before his legs gave out. Enzan showed no such weakness, but then, Enzan hadn't been sick for the past few days.   
  
((We are here.)) Tainn announced with a howl.  
  
"Here" was a clearing in the trees where a large piece of quartz jutted out of the ground. It was an odd thing to look at, the cyrstal itself was smooth, but it had a jagged appearance because of its shape. A small spring surrounded the crystal, and that spring channeled into several smaller streams that wove though the clearing. This place [i]felt[/i] more ancient that the rest of the forest did. Netto wasn't sure if Enzan could sense it, but Netto felt a very strong connection to this place.  
  
((Sit now, Brothers, and we shall tell you of what has finally come full circle.))  
  
Netto wasn't sure what that meant, but he was glad to finally be able to sit down. His legs felt like rubber from all of the walking.   
  
Next to him Enzan looked just as tired.   
  
((As you have guessed, this place is very old. It was like this when we first came to this forest, centuries ago. It was still pure, untouched by man. But much of the forest was being destroyed by the humans, and they hunted us out of fear and hatred.   
  
Their hate poisoned the spirits of the mountains, and they in turn became demons which hunted all living things, spreading even more poison to the world.   
  
It was our wish to protect these mountains from that evil, and many thought the way to doing that was by getting rid of the humans that hunted us. But that only created more hate between us, and in the end no one could win. My ancestor, Riane, tried to persuade the others that this was not the right way, but they would not listen, so the evil grew.  
  
But not all humans shared the belief that we were evil, and that the land belonged soley to the humans. There was one young girl in particular, a girl named Aleka, who stood up to her kind to protect the wolves and the land. She was shunned by her kind for this, and was cast into the forest to be killed by the wolves. Riane found her, and, seeing the pureness of her heart, fell in love with her. He wished to protect her from the evil that was coming. So he brought her to this place.  
  
By then the demons created by human hatred had spread to the edge of this sacred place, and we wolves had nowhere else to run. The humans had destroyed everything else but this sanctuary, and we were going to fight to our last to keep it from them. And many did fall that night. Both the ground and the sky wept with the blood of human and wolf alike. And as before, neither won the first battle. But we were outnumbered, and the humans had many warriors with them. One was a man of great strength, and he had heard that a young girl of great beauty was being held in the sanctuary, a prisoner of the wolves. He had decided that he would make himself even greater by rescuing her.   
  
Riane, being close to this man, heard his thoughts and went to protect his beloved Aleka. He caught the man just as he reached the clearing, and struck him down, but not before the man's own dagger found Riane's heart. Aleka, filled with grief at Riane's passing, decided that she must do something to stop the pointless killings before all life here was destroyed. So she offered herself to the Spirits, trading her life for the safety of the mountains. The Spirits accepted her offer, and took her. Where she stood when they took her is now where the Heart of the Forest stands.)) Tainn turned away from Netto and Enzan to look at the quartz stone.  
  
"That's an interesting folk legend, but what does that have to do with us?" Enzan asked.  
  
Tainn chuckled. ((I thought that would have been obvious to you. After all, you felt me looking into your soul and reading what was there. Why do you think I complied with your wish to heal Netto?))  
  
Enzan still looked confused.   
  
"I know why," Netto said softly. Enzan looked at him, but Netto was staring at the stone. "Its because you're Riane, reborn as a human. And I'm Aleka."  
  
((That is correct.)) 


	11. Time Will Tell

Enzan's mind was in a bit of a spin. Very little was making sense anymore. Since he'd come on this trip much of his world had fallen apart. But in some ways that wasn't a bad thing. After all, he'd finally admitted his true feelings for Netto. It was what Tainn had told him that he was having a hard time dealing with.   
  
((And it is something I expected, Spirit Brother.)) Tainn said. ((In fact, I would be more worried if you just flat out accepted it. After all, you were not raised in this belief like Netto was, to some extent.))   
  
Enzan nodded slightly. "I guess so..." But he sounded very uncertain.   
  
"Don't worry about," Netto suggested. "You'll only give yourself a headache."   
  
"You don't worry about anything anyway, Hikari," Enzan teased.   
  
"Hey! I do to! I worried about you-"   
  
Netto realized that Enzan had been baiting him, and that he'd fallen for it. With a grin he tackled the other boy to the ground. The spell of seriousness that Tainn had cast ended right then, and the other wolves joined in on the game.   
  
It was several minutes later before Tainn was able to speak again. By this time he was leading them back out of the ancient part of the forest and back into the places that Netto recognized. The other wolves had all but vanished from sight, though every so often one would dart into view before disappearing again.   
  
"Tainn, you told us before we left that there was some sort of danger coming. You never explained that to us," Netto suddenly observed.   
  
((No, I did not. There is not much I can say, save that it will come soon, and that you both must be on guard. What is coming is coming back from your pasts. Much of what happens will depend on the two of you. More than that, I cannot say. But I shall leave these with you.))   
  
Tainn opened his mouth and dropped two stones onto the ground. Both were attatched to silve chains, and looked like they had come from the quartz stone. Engraved into both stones was the image of a running wolf. Netto and Enzan each picked one up.   
  
((These have been in our clan since the time of my grandfather's grandfather. It is said that Aleka made them before the Battle. They are a symbol that you are of our clan. I promise they will be useful to you in the future. On that note, I take my leave of you, and let Anuzu guide you the rest of the way. Until we meet again, safe journeys, my Brothers.))   
  
"Wait a minute!" Enzan exclaimed. "What do you mean by that?"   
  
But Tainn had already vanished. Netto shook his head, an exasperated look on his face.   
  
"I hate it when he does that," he growled. Then he looked at Anuzu. "Will you explain?"   
  
((No.)) Anuzu said. ((You'll be given an explaination when the time is right. Now come, The Old Woman is waiting for both of you.))   
  
Anuzu shook herself, then trotted off down the path, leaving Netto and Enzan to follow. Sighing loudly they did so.   
  
"How do you put up with them?" Enzan asked, nodding towards Anuzu.   
  
"Them? For the most part we ignore them. They're time frame is a lot different from ours, so their philosophies don't make much sense to us. So, unless they're really direct in what they're telling us, we don't pay much attention," Netto explained.   
  
((So that's basically everything we tell you. And you humans wonder why you're society is so messed up.))   
  
Netto and Enzan chose to follow Netto's advice: they ignored Anuzu. Severely irritated Anuzu refused to speak to them for the rest of the trip, not that it was any loss to the boys. In fact, it was quite pleasent.   
  
****   
  
Kichi had been watching the paths all day for any signs of Netto or Enzan. Nana had said they would be coming back sometime today, but she refused to let anyone go into the mountains to find them, and that irritated Kichi to no end. Granted, Mycah had sent Anuzu out when the storm had hit, but that had done little to ease Kichi's fears. Netto may have been taught how to escape a storm like that, but he'd never been tested, and Kichi would have felt better if she had been with him.   
  
"Be still, child," Mycah said in a calm voice. "They are coming."   
  
"How can I be calm after that big of a storm? What if Netto got hurt? What if he got caught in a flash flood! What if-"   
  
"What if you're working yourself up for nothing?" Mycah interrupted. "See, look there."   
  
The old woman pointed to one of the smaller paths. Kichi followed the twisted finger and spotted three objects moving through the trees, coming into the field. It was the boys and Anuzu.   
  
"Netto!" Kichi exclaimed, running to greet her cousin. Mycah followed behind at a much slower pace.   
  
They were about half way through the field when Kichi reached them. Netto smiled and said hi, but Enzan's greeting wasn't so...nice. Without a single shred of warning, he punched Kichi right in the eye, knocking her to the ground. Behind her Mycah and some of the other cousins began to laugh.   
  
"Okay, I admit I had that coming," Kichi replied, picking herself up. "But did you really have to hit me so hard?"   
  
"Yes, I did," Enzan replied coldly. Kichi shrugged.   
  
"I see you both survived," Mycah said with a smile. Her eyes rested on the quartz pendents they were wearing for a moment, then returned her eyes to theirs. "Now time will tell whether or not you will continue to do so. Come, you both look like you could use a good rest." With a gesture she led everyone back to the house.   
  
~End~   
  
******   
  
Ha! I finished it! That puts my total of finished fics at 3. And yes, I left it on an open note. That's because I plan for a sequel. So if you want to know what happens next you'll just have to wait. Am I not evil? *cackles and runs off* 


End file.
